Barrier movement controllers of various kinds are known in the art. Such controllers typically serve to selectively move a barrier (such as a garage door, a rolling shutter, and so forth) between fully-opened and full-closed positions. In many cases, the barrier movement controller includes a wireless receiver that serves, at least in part, to receive one or more barrier movement remote control signals. Such signals can serve, for example, to prompt the controller to responsively move the barrier from a closed position to an opened position or vice versa.
The prior art leverages this ability to move a barrier in various ways. By one approach, for example, the barrier movement controller responds to detection of a possible obstacle in the path of the moving barrier by halting or reversing such movement. As another example, the barrier movement controller responds to detection of an approaching person by causing selected lighting to illuminate a given area.
In at least certain other respects, however, the prior art has not fully addressed this automated capability to move a barrier. Consider, for example, permitting automated control of a movable barrier in response to detecting a given environmental condition such as a fire or unsafe levels of carbon monoxide. Detecting such a condition in, say, a residential garage does not lead inevitably and inexorably to a need to always ensure that the movable barrier is in a particular same position (such as a fully-opened or a fully-closed position). In some cases, the appropriate action may be to cause an opened barrier to close. In other cases, however, the appropriate action may be instead the opposite; leaving an opened barrier in the opened position. Furthermore, the undesired consequences of effecting an inappropriate response to a given sensed condition in these regards can be significant.
Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale unless noted otherwise. For example, the dimensions and/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions by persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above except where different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.